Professional Governance

The Professional Governance​ structure consists of councils at both the Nursing Department Hospital Wide and Patient Care Unit Based levels. The Professional Governance provide nurses at all levels with a forum to actively support and effectively operationalize the Nicklaus Children's Hospital Nursing Philosophy and Standards of Pediatric Practice along with the mission and values of the organization. All councils report to the Nursing Executive Council (NEC) on a quarterly basis, which oversees all aspects of nursing practice; it is chaired by the Nurse Executive SVP/CNO. All clinical nurse chairpersons from the hospital wide councils and unit practice councils (UPCs) report progress and outcomes to NEC.

Nursing Shared Leadership Council Structure Graph

Quality and Safety Outcomes Council

  • The Quality & Safety Outcomes (QSO) Council focuses on improving patient care outcomes and drives quality based strategic goals. Implements structures and processes across the organization in alignment with strategic goals. Ensures that optimal care and outcomes are evidence based standard practices.

Nursing Research and EBP Council

  • The Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice (NR&EBP) Council is the interprofessional governing body, for which nursing services promotes, supports, facilitates, and conducts nursing research studies and evidence-based practice projects.
  • The NR&EBP Council reviews and approves all nursing research proposals and makes recommendations as appropriate; heightens awareness of EBP  with annual workshops; and provides consultation to potential researchers on the external IRB process (WIRB) in collaboration with NCH Research Institute department and its standing council members.

Clinical Practice Council

  • The Clinical Practice Council enhances nursing expertise by certification, education advancement, etc...; evaluates, develops, and modifies clinical practice related policies and procedures; and collaborates with supply chain in equipment evaluation of products used at the point of care.

Finance Council

  • The Finance Council focuses on managing staffing processes, cost savings initiatives, nurse-staffing ratios, and acuity scales for patient care assignments; unit based self-scheduling guidelines to meet the needs of the unit and patients, FMLA and floating guidelines, and any strategic goals that relate to the above. 

Exemplary Professional Practice Council

  • The Exemplary Professional Practice (EPP) Council evaluates and applies the Nursing Professional Practice Model (PPM), reinforces Magnet standards and a culture of nursing excellence; and participates in community healthcare outreach.

Engagement & Recognition Council

  • The Engagement & Recognition (EAR) Council promotes employee engagement through innovative strategies and organizes both internal and external nursing and interprofessional recognition efforts.

Advance Practice Nurse Council

  • The Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) Council promotes advanced practice nurse advocacy and the advancement and interdisciplinary collaboration of the nursing profession through scholarly activities.

Nursing Operations Council

  • The Nursing Operations Council (NOC) promotes communication between all leadership levels with continued focus on a Magnet culture at the hospital wide level, promotes leadership recognition and involvement, and supports an environment of transparency and advocacy.

Night Shift Council

  • The Night Shift Council promotes engagement activities for night shift employees to ensure their voices are heard for initiatives that impact them directly.